


Micro-Story: Tender

by ThistleCrown



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Chronic Pain, Cullen Modern AU, F/M, Fluff, Fluffy Angst, Modern AU, Tender - Freeform, back massage, maybe gross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 06:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12205689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThistleCrown/pseuds/ThistleCrown
Summary: Another Micro-story prompt from Tumblr.





	Micro-Story: Tender

I hissed as another breath shot pain through my shoulder like a spear. It was getting worse but I still had so much work to do before I could stop. I stared in dismay at the boxes of invoices waiting to be stuffed and mailed before another breath sent more pain lancing through my shoulder and turned towards my cubicle. At this point, over the counter painkillers wouldn’t do a damn thing for me but it would have to do until I got home where muscle relaxers and a heating pad were waiting for me.

I swallowed a couple Aleve pills and rolled my shoulders out, wincing as my right shoulder popped and I felt the bones grind. A quick glance at my clock told me I had 90 minutes left in my work day. 90 minutes to stuff envelopes and let the repetitive motion steadily ramp up my pain. 

My shoulder spasmed again, the bones of my right shoulder blade grinding against my ribcage and I did my best to keep my swearing under my breath.

“Farrada, was the hell was that?” 

I spun to see my boss standing in the entry to my cubicle, looking positively horrified.

“Just my whole chronic-dislocations thingy. It’s nothing,” I said, trying to plaster a smile on my face and knowing it wouldn’t convince Carter.

“Farrada, I could hear that popping from three feet away. You need to go see a doctor.”

“I have, sir. Too many to count stretched out for about 14 years now. There’s not really anything they can do to fix me but I have some muscle relaxers at home.” I was clutching my right shoulder now, willing the pain to go away but each breath was just another knife twist to the front of my shoulder.

“Why don’t you have any here?” 

“It’s not safe to take muscle relaxers when I have to drive.”

Carter looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke again. “Go home, Farrada.”

“What?”

“I’ll get onto the phones from home once I get there. You’re in no shape to work. Close out your batch and go home,” and with that he turned, robbing me of the chance to argue. 

I had never been so thankful for a slow day of phone calls as I closed out my meager batch of 3 payments, fired off a quick “omw home” text to Cullen and practically ran out the door, trying not to concentrate on my inability to properly breathe. 

The drive home was blessedly quick but my shoulder spasms only continued to worsen the closer I got to my apartment. As soon as I parked I gathered my purse and lunch box in my left hand, trying to only use my right for doors. 

The crisp, Autumn air and my old locks meant that my key stuck and fought as I tried to open my door, but before I could shove the key all the way in the door opened and I nearly fell into Cullen. He caught me and kissed the top of my head with a chuckle and for a brief moment I nearly forgot I was in pain.

“Give me those,” Cullen said as he reached for my bags, then around me to remove my keys hanging uselessly, only halfway into the lock. “You got sent home early for your shoulders didn't you? Your muscle relaxers are on the kitchen counter and I turned on your heating pad for you.”

For a moment I simply stood, staring at the wonderful, curly haired angel in front of me. But then another breath sent pain splaying across my right shoulder blade and I practically sprinted towards the counter that held my pills.

“You're wonderful,” I called to Cullen over my shoulder after swallowing my pill. I threw my jacket towards the direction of my couch and moved towards my bedroom, barely catching Cullen's response muttered at my back with a chuckle.

“So you always say.”

“You always are,” I called back. 

Cullen had out done himself. On top of guessing I was in pain and setting out my pills and heating pad, it seemed that he had straightened out my pillows and set my old, stuffed fox propped against my favorite pillow. The bed was nearly perfectly made, save for the top right corner pulled back for me to crawl under.

I kicked off my work shoes and removed my bra from under my shirt without bothering to completely change into more comfortable clothes before I crawled under the covers and situated myself laying stomach-down, the front of my right shoulder pressed into my heating pad and my head turned to the side.

A moment later, Cullen knocked quietly on my open door. I just groaned in response and he laughed again, a deep, rumbling chuckle that made my stomach flutter.

“May I come in?”

“That's what the groan was for.”

“Never know, with you,” Cullen said as he slipped into my room and sat on the edge of my bed. “you can sound like that in your sleep sometimes.”

I threw my fox at him in response, but she only bounced off his chest and landed on the floor. 

“Now, Farra. That's not very nice to… what did you say it's name is again?”

“Her name is Foxy Shazam.” My voice was muffled by the pillow as I angled my face further into the red pillow case to hide my blush. 

Cullen picked her up off the floor and laid her near me. “which side is worse today?”

“Right shoulder.”

Softly, gently, Cullen began to press his fingers into the knot of muscles from my right shoulder up to my neck. I tensed in response, and once again my right shoulder was forced out of the socket. 

Cullen only paused for a moment before firmly pressing down on my right shoulder blade, effectively pushing everything back into place. He kneaded my back, and between the pills and Cullen's ministrations everything finally started to unconstrict. Satisfied, he moved up to the knot that seemed to constantly exist in my left shoulder. 

I nearly regretted that he only sat next to me while he worked to help decrease my pain. I loved when he gave me massages straddling me. I loved knowing that once my pain had subsided, I could have him focused on a new task entirely with just a few small movements of my hips. But the pain this afternoon had been exceptionally terrible and he must have noticed it written on my face when I stumbled in. 

I reached out for my fox and curled my left arm around her, pulling her up near my chest, where my cat had slept for years. Cullen seemed to take this as his cue to stop and I was too tired to complain.

“Nap with me?”

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my cheek. Light, tender, chaste. “Not today, love. I'll wake you in 90 minutes.”

I nodded against my pillow and Cullen left my room, turning off the lights behind him. I could finally breathe without pain again, and sleep did not waste a moment claiming me.


End file.
